From Publishers Weekly
Three generations of the Hog family set out to attend an operatic performance of Pigoletto. They emerge from a pale-yellow house and stroll down the lawn to their sedan. "The car sputtered. The car snorted. The car would not start." They seek other unsuccessful modes of transportation, starting with young Horace Hog's two-wheeled scooter ("Six Hogs on a scooter makes an interesting sight"). However, by the time the group finally decides to catch a bus ("Six Hogs on a bus makes an interesting sight"), the opera has ended, and they must reverse their journey ("Six Hogs sleeping at a bus stop makes a very interesting sight"). Though this tale doesn't sparkle like some of Spinelli's (Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch) previous picture books, Nash (Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp; Martian Rock) wryly pictures the hog sextet in their Sunday best, grinning despite the setbacks; a picture of Grandma Hog spinning on roller skates is especially entertaining. Ages 5-9. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K-The Hog family is ready to go to the opera. However, the car refuses to budge. Brother Horace offers his scooter, followed by the punch line, "Six hogs on a scooter makes an interesting sight." When the tires go flat, sister Penelope suggests roller skates-and, of course, six hogs on roller skates makes an interesting sight as well. Mother and Grandpa come up with their own ideas (hot-air balloon, wagon), which also create transportation challenges. By this point, the pattern is fairly predictable, and the six hogs are not so interesting anymore. Grandma Hog finally wonders "-why we just don't take the bus?" The bus delivers them in no time-but by then the opera is over. Since the buses are no longer running, the Hog family settles in for a good night's sleep at the bus stop, where "Six Hogs sleeping at a bus stop makes a very interesting sight." The writing lacks the pizzazz needed to keep these hogs truly interesting. Nash's illustrations lift the tedious text, offering goofy double-page spreads of the animals as they try out their various modes of transportation. In each, they are posing with wide eyes and even wider smiles, as if blinded by the flash of a camera. Ultimately, though, the story misses the mark. If silly is a selling point with younger patrons, turn to James Marshall's The Cut-ups (Puffin, 1986).
Lisa Gangemi Krapp, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
